The present invention relates to the field of dispensing units and more particularly, to a dispenser apparatus wherein the type and brand of the product dispensed therefrom can be identified, and certain types and brands can be restricted from use within the dispensing apparatus.
Dispenser units are common in everyday life and dispense many different types of products. The dispensed products may range from liquid to solid substances, and the dispensers may be found in a variety of different environments. The products may include antimicrobial soap, antibacterial soap, lotion, and medicinal products. One typical use for a dispenser unit is to supply hand soap to a user of a public restroom.
Typically, dispenser units are supplied to a number of various customers by the cleaning product supplier. The supplier may want to have the capability of controlling the type of dispensed product that is installed in the dispenser unit. In addition, the supplier may desire to control the brand of the dispensed product that is installed in the dispenser unit. In this way, the customer is able to place certain restrictions on the dispensed product and thereby is able ultimately to prevent the person who uses the dispenser unit from using an unauthorized or incorrect product. For example, the customer or the supplier may want to prevent the dispensing unit from being filled with a type of soap that is not suitable for the needs of the user. Or the supplier may want to prevent the dispensing unit from being filled with a brand of soap from a distributor that is a competitor of the supplier.
Existing dispensing units attempt to provide the customer with the capability to distinguish between the different types of products dispensed therefrom. These existing dispensing units, however, suffer from problems relating to production cost, efficiency, and the difficulty of adapting to accommodate different permissible types of products.
For example, some existing dispensing units are mechanical designs that feature cartridges with grooves therein that fit together with corresponding ribs located on a mounting bracket of the dispenser unit. The corresponding groove and rib assembly prevents the use of improper products in the dispensing unit because the grooves and ribs must fit together, or else the cartridge will not fit into its proper position in the mounting bracket. Altering the rib and groove assembly, however, in order to accommodate different permissible cartridges is troublesome because the size and configuration of the ribs and grooves must be physically varied. This necessitates a reconfiguration of not only the entire cartridge structure, but the structure of the mounting bracket as well. Other designs use a similar xe2x80x9cmatingxe2x80x9d technique, such as a bottle with a specially contoured neck portion. Consequently, there is a need for a simpler design that allows different types of cartridges to be accepted without having to change the entire structure of the dispensing unit and cartridge assembly.
It is an object of the current invention to solve the problems discussed above relating to previously known dispensing units.
Specifically, it is an object of the current invention to provide a dispensing unit that controls the type of dispensed product that may be installed therein.
It is also an object of the current invention to provide a dispensing unit that controls the brand of the dispensed product that is installed therein.
The current invention provides a supplier with the capability to place certain restrictions on the dispensed product and to thereby ultimately prevent the user from using an unauthorized product.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a dispenser apparatus is provided wherein the type and brand of the product dispensed therefrom can be identified, and certain types and brands can be restricted from use within the dispensing apparatus. The present invention incorporates a simple design that allows different types of cartridges to be accepted without having to change the entire structure of the dispensing unit and cartridge assembly.
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for dispensing a product therefrom, comprising: a housing case; a container inserted into the housing case for storing the product, the container having an exit port from which the product is discharged; drive means for causing the product to be discharged from the container through the exit port; a magnetic sensor attached to a support surface of the housing case; a wafer attached to an annular disk that encircles the exit portion of the container and having a magnet embedded therein, wherein the container is inserted into the housing case so that the wafer is received by and mates with the housing case to align the magnet with the magnetic sensor; wherein a location of the magnet embedded in the wafer of the container is detected by the magnetic sensor of the housing case so that the container is identified; and wherein the drive means is only activated when the container is identified as an authorized container based on the proper location of the magnet. The wafer has two cut-off edge portions to form two straight edges that fit into the housing case. The drive means may comprise a motor and a pump, or a flexible discharge tube that emits the product from the nozzle when the flexible discharge tube is compressed.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for dispensing a product therefrom, comprising: a housing case; a container inserted into the housing case for storing the product, the container having a neck portion; a nozzle attached to the housing case for emitting the product therefrom; a hose portion for connecting the container to the nozzle or chute; drive means for causing the product to move from the container through the hose portion and out the nozzle; resistance measuring means attached to a support surface of the housing case; a wafer attached to the container and having a resistor element embedded therein, wherein the container is inserted into the housing case so that the wafer is received by and mates with the housing case to electrically connect the resistor element to the resistance measuring means; wherein a resistance value of the resistor element embedded in the wafer of the container is measured by the resistance measuring means of the housing case so that the container is identified; and wherein the drive means is only activated when the container is identified as an authorized container based on the resistance value of the resistor element.
Another embodiment uses the idea of resistance measurement also. Here, however, the resistive element is the dispensing tube itself. A tube made of electronically conductive rubber is used in place of the bag disk containing a resistive element. Electrical connections are made using conventional contacts engaging the tube but preferably would be made with pointed metal contacts which would penetrate the exterior surface of the tube. Penetration of the tube has the advantage of preventing corrosion of the tips of the contacts due to spillage of the dispensed material. The tubes are made with a specific resistance value corresponding with each product to be identified.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for dispensing a product therefrom, comprising: a housing case; a container inserted into the housing case for storing the product, the container having an exit port; a nozzle attached to the housing case for emitting the product therefrom; a hose or chute portion for directing flow of the discharged product from the exit port; drive means for causing the product to move from the container through the hose or chute portion; a first inductive coil attached to a support surface of the housing case; a wafer attached to the container and having a second inductive coil embedded therein and a capacitor connected to the second inductive coil, wherein the container is inserted into the housing case so that the wafer is received by and mates with the housing case; wherein a resonant frequency is established by the capacitor so that the container is identified; and wherein the drive means is only activated when the container is identified as an authorized container based on the resonant frequency.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for dispensing a product therefrom, comprising: a housing case; a container inserted into the housing case for storing the product, the container having an exit port; a nozzle attached to the housing case for emitting the product therefrom; a hose or chute portion for directing flow of the discharged product from the exit port out the nozzle; drive means for causing the product to move from the container through the hose or chute portion to be dispensed therefrom; a first magnet-sensor pair attached to a support surface of the housing case and containing a first magnet and a corresponding first sensor; a second magnet-sensor pair attached to the support surface of the housing case and containing a second magnet and a corresponding second sensor; a wafer attached to the container and having an iron or other magnetic element embedded therein to route magnetic flux from the first magnet to the first sensor while the second sensor is inactive, wherein the container is inserted into the housing case so that the wafer is received by and mates with the housing case; logic means for detecting when each sensor is activated; wherein the drive means is only activated when the first sensor is activated to identify the container as an authorized container.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for dispensing a product therefrom, comprising: a housing case; a container inserted into the housing case for storing the product, the container having an exit port; a nozzle attached to the housing case for emitting the product therefrom; a hose or chute portion for directing flow of the discharged product from the exit port out the nozzle; drive means for causing the product to move from the container through the hose or chute portion; a plurality of sensors attached to a support surface of the housing case and being electrically connected to binary decoder means; a wafer attached to the container and having a plurality of magnets placed thereon, wherein the plurality of magnets and the plurality of sensors are arranged to provide a binary code to be fed to the binary decoder means, and wherein the container is inserted into the housing case so that the wafer is received by and mates with the housing case; wherein the binary code is identified by the binary decoder means of the housing case; and wherein the drive means is only activated when the binary code is identified as an authorized binary code.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for dispensing a product therefrom, comprising a housing case; a container inserted into the housing case for storing the product, the container having a neck portion and having a chute portion made of conductive rubber; a nozzle attached to the chute portion for emitting the product therefrom; drive means for causing the product to move from the container through the chute portion and out the nozzle; resistance measuring means attached to a support surface of the housing case;
wherein a resistance value of the chute portion is measured by the resistance measuring means of the housing case so that the container is identified; and wherein the drive means is only activated when the container is identified as an authorized container based on the resistance value of the chute portion.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for dispensing a product therefrom, comprising a housing case; a container inserted into the housing case for storing the product, the container having an exit port; a chute to direct flow of the product from the exit port; drive means for causing the product to move from the container through the chute to be dispensed therefrom; a light emitting diode attached to a support surface of the housing case; a photoelectric sensor attached to the support surface of the housing case;
a wafer attached to the container and having a plurality of photosensors located thereon;
wherein light is conducted from the light emitting diode to the photoelectric sensor so that a location of the photosensors on said wafer of the container is identified; and wherein the drive means is only activated when the container is identified as an authorized container based on the location of the plurality of photosensors.